How She’d Wear It with Style and Cheek

Let me hit you with some stripe knowledge. The nautical stripe aka navy and white stripes first came about in 1858 when the sailor or “Breton” stripe shirt became part of the uniform for the French navy, but it was Coco Chanel who brought this stripe into the high fashion world in 1917 with a navy and white striped boat-necked blouse. Since then it has become a beloved pattern and a closet staple, reminding us of 1950s and 60s Hollywood starlets like Audrey Hepburn and Brigitte Bardot. Navy and white stripes are never the wrong choice, whether you’re looking to evoke Parisian chic or planning a nautical adventure…or just going to lunch, these stripes are a classic that anyone can add to their daily style repertoire.

I ran with these navy and white striped sailor shorts and kept this look pretty nautical themed. It might be a little kitschy but that’s the point. You could certainly wear jewelry without nautical leanings but the striped shorts paired with a cable knit sweater is a classic summertime combination. Pineapples are everywhere right now so I went with a fun pineapple necklace, but overall kept it very simple with gold jewelry. And you guys know me, I love the idea of mixing “staple” patterns, so I went with some fun polka dot Keds to play off our striped shorts.

Striped shirts are part of my daily uniform. I have so many stripes in my closet and at least three of them are navy and white. I usually wear them with jeans and flats but this is more of a casual summer outfit, perfect for a clambake. Or the 4th of July! The bright reddish pants give this outfit a festive feel but also leans towards the patriotic. The Prinkshop tote actually says “for the love of fresh” in French and a percentage from each sale goes to The Edible Schoolyard, an organization which teaches kids about growing and cooking food.